Fuel distributor



March 30, 1937. H. P. ANDERSON 2,075,158

FUEL DISTRIBUTOR 1 Filed Sept. 21, 1933 I5 Sheets-Sheet l 1, 42 14 f Z gwsmon.

' Muflfddf27dezav12 v BY I ATTORNEY.

March 30, 1937. H. P. ANDERSON FUEL DISTRIBUTOR Filed Sept 21, 1933 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Q mm INVENTOR. Mud/d M02130]? ATTORNEY.

March 30, 1937. H. P. ANDERSON FUEL DISTRIBUTOR Filed Sept. 21, 1933 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOiQ. ifaz/azz cfiqzza emazz ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs FUEL DISTRIBUTOR Howard P. Anderson, Erie, Pa., assignor to The Standard Stoker Company, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Application September 21, 1933, Serial No. 690,364:

Claims.

tween the pressure fluid blasts and the distributmg table.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel distributing table constructed as a perforated hollow shell having an open side and with its walls arranged to prevent distortion of the fuel distributing surface and to protect it I from the fire.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of means, in a fuel distributor of the two section type, which prevents displacement and particularly accidental displacement of the removable section.

The advantages and use of the invention will be particularly described in connection with a fuel distributor for locomotive stokers as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and it will be clear that its use is not necessarily restricted in its association as illustrated by the drawings in which Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through a portion of the back wall -of a locomotive firebox showing in a similar section a stoker in which my invention is embodied;

Figure 2 is a plan section taken on the line 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the pressure fiuid jet head and the distributing table in assembled relation with parts broken or cut away to illustrate particularly the form of these two members and the novel method of holding these two sections in assembled relation;

Figure 4 is an isometric view of one of the safety pins which coacts with the jet head and the distributing table to prevent accidental displacement of the distributing table;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is an isometric view of the shell-like fuel distributing table;

the jet head and the distributing table illustrating another use of the pin shown in Figure 4.

My improved fuel distributor may be used with most forms of furnaces, but as shown in Figures 1 and 2 it is especially adapted for use with a locomotive firebox l0, having the backhead H in which there is a firing opening l2, preferably, of the conventional form used on stoker fired locomotives and having its inner marginal edge bounded by the well known 'OConnor flange 13, which constitutes a part of the backhead ll.

The OConnor flange l3 in effect forms a bulge in the backhead and among its advantages is that of deflecting the flames of the fire away from the opening l2 toward the firebox arch (not shown). The novel fuel distributor to which this invention is predicated is indicated as a whole at D and is disposed in or adjacent the lower portion of the firing opening l2 in a position to receive fuel from the stoker conduit C.

In the specific embodiment herein shown as illustrating but one of many different forms of my invention, the distributor D consists of the front section or distributing table it and the rear section or jet head if. The two sections are preferably interlocked within the confines of the backhead H as will presently appear. In efiect, the jet head l5 forms a continuation of the floor of the conduit C and may be rigidly, but detachably, secured therein by any suitable fastening means. The fastening means herein illustrated will not be described as it forms no part of the present invention. Fuel is advanced through the conduit C to the distributor D by the screw conveyor l6 leading from a source of fuel supply. Any desired mechanism may be employed for driving the screw conveyor l6 and likewise any suitable means may be used for mounting the conduit C on the firebox backhead or in any suitable relation with the firing opening l2 so as to feed fuel therethrough.

It is customary to construct sectional distributors of the character referred to with the front section readily removable from the rear section. Usually this is accomplished by the provision of interlocking elements on the sections holding them in normal position but permitting the front section to be readily removed from the rear section. An important part of the invention here is the inclusion with such an interlocking sectional distributor of means for preventing accidental displacement of the front section, at such times, for instance, when the fireman is using a fire hook or rake.

The jet head I5 is provided with a front face ll and extending forwardly from the lower edge of this front face is a ledge 50 which serves to support the overhanging weight of the distribut- 5 ing table I and restrains downward movement of the table about its interlocking hinge connection with the jet head l5 as will hereinafter be more fully described. The upper surface of the distributing table I4 is in the form of a plate l8,

l and depending from the rearward underside of the plate i8 are the rearwardly extending lugs such as i9, one at each side portion of the distributing table. The lugs iii are each provided with an upstanding curved rib such as 20, each of which ribs cooperates with a complementary curved wall 2| of the jet head l5 to hingedly connect the jet head l5 and the table II.

This construction permits the jet head l5 and the distributor table H to be effectively interlocked and usually a construction of this nature is sufiicient to maintain the parts of the distributor D in proper relation at all times. However,

under certain conditions, it has been found necessary to take precautionary measures against ac--v cidental displacement of the distributor parts by the fireman when hooking or raking the fire. To prevent such accidental displacement of parts, a pin 22 is passed loosely through the vertically aligned holes 23,- 24 in each of the lugs l3 and the horizontal walls 25, respectively. Each of said horizontal walls 25 is a part of the jet head l5 but forms in effect a rearward continuation of the plate I 3. Each pin 22 includes an enlarged head 26 which fits into a counterbored recess 21 formed in each of the horizontal walls 25 and concentric with the vertically aligned holes 23, 24. The enlarged heads of the pins 22 do not protrude above the upper surface of the horizontal walls 25 and in order that these pins may be easily removed, each of them is provided with a ball 23 which may be raised to the position as indicated in Figure 4. Thus, whenever it is necessary tov disconnect the front section of the distributor from the rear section thereof, the pins front section to be hinged from its engaged position with the rear section.

In Figure 8, a modified form of this feature is shown wherein the pin 12 constitutes an element of the interlocking means between the distributing table l5 and the jet head I 4. In this construction, the lugs l9 merely contact the underside of the horizontal walls 25 and upstanding curved ribs such as shown at 20 in Figure 3' are not used for engaging a complementary curved portion of the jet head. However, as in the preferred form of the invention, the pins22 prevent accidental displacement of the distributor parts and are easily removed for the purpose of disconnecting. the table from the jet head l5.

In order to prolong the life of the table l4 and other cooperating parts of the distributor D, the table I 4 is made in the form of a perforated hollow shell having an open rearward side and ineluding a bottom wall 30 which inclines from the open rearward side toward the opposite side of the plate l8 and then curves upwardly into the top' wall or plate l8 to form a front wall 3|. At its opposite ends, the bottom wall 30 curves into the plate l8 to form curving end walls 32, 33. The angle of inclination of the bottom wall 30 closely approaches the direction of the flame travel as it is deflected toward the arch by the bulge of the OConnor flange. I have found 75 this to be of considerable advantage in that the 22 may be conveniently removed, permitting the flame does not impinge directly upon the bot' tom wall 30 and hence its life is prolonged.

The only possible point of flame impingement is at the juncture of the curved front wall 3 I, the end walls 32, 33 and the forward edge of the plate l8. The section of metal at these points I have made considerably heavier in order that the intense heat may be adequately absorbed and radiated rearwardly to cooler parts of the distributor table. A plurality of ribs such as 34 connect the top wall or plate l8 and the bottom wall 30, serving to strengthen the shell structure of the distributor table l4 and also acting as heat absorbing and conducting or radiating elements. The rearward edge of the hollow shell formed by the bottom wall 30 and the end walls 32, 33 fits the walls of the lower portion of the firing opening closely and in this manner, air entering through the open rearward side of the table is entrained through openings such as 35 which perforate the bottom, end and front walls of the table, cooling the same.

The relation between the jet head I5 and the distributing table i4 is a novel one and has proven in actual service to be very efiicient in spreading the coal evenly to all parts of the fire and is of the followingconstruction. Rearward of the front face I! of the jet head, l5 are the upper pressure fluid chambers 35,31 and the lower pressure fluid chamber 33. Pressure fluid is conducted to the chambers, 31 by the leads 35a, 31a respectively, whilethe chamber 33 receives fluid throughthe lead 33a. Fluid is introduced into the chambers 36-, 31 under a higher pressure than into the chamber 33 and in order that the pressure of the fluid in each chamber may be controlled independently, valves 35b, 31b and 33b are placed in the leads 36a, 31a and 33a respectively. The front face I! is provided with jet openings 39 which are drilled so as to emit pressure fluid from the chambers 36, 31 and 33; the jet openings 33 preferably aredrilled so that they form horizontally and vertically aligned rows of holes. These jet openings sweep blasts of pressure fluid across the plate ll of the distributing table l4 and are directed so that the vertically aligned holes discharge between the diverging or radiating group of ribs 40, 4|, 42, 43 and 44 which are formed on the plate l8.

It will be observed from Figures 1 and 2 that the front face of the jet head is rearward of the bulged portion of the "O'Connor flange and hence, some means must be provided for diverting some of the fuel to the rear comers of the firebox. To accomplish this, the jet head I5 is provided with the walls 45, 45 each of which extends obliquely from an outer end of the front face l1, and forms the forward limit of the side chambers 41, 48 respectively. Pressure fluid is conducted to these side chambers 41, 43 by the leads 41a, 430. which are also provided with valves 41b, 48b respectively for the purpose of independently controlling the pressure of the fluid in each chamber. Drilled through each wall. 45, 46 are the jet openings 50, 5| which are directed so that their axes converge at a common point on the side ribs 40, 44. These side ribs 43, 44 curve outwardly toward the sides of the firebox and their outer extremities terminate forward of the backhead and in a vertical plane which extends transversely of the firebox. It will of course be understood that if the front'face I! of the jet head were disposed forward of the backhead II, the curved side ribs 40, 44 would not be necessary to deflect fuel to the rear comers wardly into the todwall to form a front wall of the firebox. However, I prefer that the frontv face terminate in the position substantially as,

illustrated as it has beenfound by actual use to be of considerable importance in prolonging the life of the distributor D generally and the table M in particular.

Having fully described my invention, I now make claim to the following as new and novel in the stoker art.

I claim:

1. A fuel distributing table constructed as a hollow shell and. in its operative position being open at its rearward side and including a substantially fiat top wall, an inclined bottom wall table toward the opposite side and curving upwardly into the top wall to form a front wall and said bottom wall at its opposite ends curving upwardly into the top wall to form end walls, 20 the upper portion of the inclined bottom where it curves to form the front and end walls being of greater thickness than at its lower edge.

2. A fuel distributing table constructed as a hollow shell and in its operative position being stantially flat top wall, an inclined bottom wall extending upwardly from the open side of the table toward the opposite side and curving .upwardly into the top wall to form a front wall and said bottom wall at its opposite ends curving upwardly into the top wall to form end walls, the upper portion of the inclined bottom where it curves to form the front and end walls being of greater thickness than at its lower edge and at least one rib extending between the top wall and the inclined bottom wall.

3. A fuel distributing table constructed as a hollow shell and in its operative position being open at its rearward side and including a substantially flat top wall, an inclined bottom wall extending upwardly from the open side of the table toward the opposite side and curving up-' extending upwardly from the open side of the open at its rearward side and including a sub- 7 and said bottom wall at its opposite ends curving upwardly into the top wall to form end walls,

the upper portion of the inclined bottom where it curves to form the front and end walls being of greater thickness than its lower edge and at least one of said walls below the upper surface of the top wallbeing provided with a plurality of perforations. v I v 1 j 4. A fuel distributing table constructedas a hollow shell andin its. operative position being open at its rearward aside and including a substantially flat top wallpan inclined bottom wall extendingiupwardlyfrom the .openside of the table toward the opposite side and curving upwardly into the top wall to form 'afront wall and said bottom wall at its opposite. ends curving upwardly into the top wall to form end walls, the upper portion of the inclined bottom-where it curves to form the front and end walls being of greater thickness than at its lower edge, atleast one rib extending between the top wall and the inclined bottom wall and at least one of said walls below the upper surface of the top wall being provided with a plurality of perforations.

5. A fuel distributor for stokers comprising a rear section anda front section, each of said sections .having an element of an interlocking hinging means for detachably securing the front section to the rear section, said interlocking means comprising a ledge formed with said rear section underlying the rearward side of said front section forming a support therefor, and a pair of lugs formed with said front section underlying the forward side of saidrear section, one at each side of said ledge, for. restraining downward movement of said front section with respect to said rear section, and a pair of pins each extending vertically loosely through the rear section and engaging a corresponding lug of. said front section.

HOWARD P. ANDERSON. 

